A Tribute to Breast Cancer Survivors
Beverly Driver is a certified acupuncturist, Pilates and Gigong
practitioner who is also a breast cancer survivor. Recently, Beverly had
a chat with YogaHub about how she dealt with her diagnosis and what she
learned about herself in the process.
When Beverly was 36 years old, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and
underwent a biopsy. While she was still under anesthesia, the surgeon
went out to the waiting room and informed her husband that Beverly had
breast cancer. Rather than respecting her husband's request that he
participate in breaking the news to Beverly, however, the surgeon went
back into the operating theatre and informed her of the diagnosis.
Beverly was just coming out from anesthesia, so she doesn't have a clear
recollection of how she felt - "emotionally it was kind of a blank", she
says. She doesn't recall feeling any sense of panic; the only reaction
she clearly remembers having is "Okay, I have something else to focus on
now."
Although the surgeon's immediate suggestion was that Beverly undergo a
mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy, she decided not to be rushed into
making a decision. After researching her options, she opted for the
minimally invasive treatment - a breast lumpectomy - that would remove
some of the tissue in the immediate area. For approximately two to three
months following her lumpectomy, she had regular monitoring and blood
work, but then it was determined that the cancer had spread and that
there was lymph node involvement, which would further increase the
ability for the cancer to spread. Beverly then went ahead with the
mastectomy but, as she found out later, the surgery brought with it
other muscular-skeletal imbalances. At the time, she didn't realize how
significantly the healing of the tissue around the breast area would
affect the back, shoulder, and neck, not just the isolated area.
Rather than sending her into a panic, however, Beverly's cancer
diagnosis engaged her into becoming heavily involved in researching
current thought and treatment for breast cancer at that time. Apart from
studying the traditional western model of treatment, she started looking
into alternative holistic methods for healing. She did enough research
on diet to start posing some "what if" questions, and from there she
began to put things together and take some positive steps towards
helping to heal herself.
One of the holistic modalities she researched was acupuncture, and the
more she looked into it, the more convinced she was that it could help
her healing process. Continue reading...
YogaHub Forum Updates
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Updates from the Blog:
A Lesson in Compassion by Amy Cheryl
So, I find that every time I visit with my family, I am offered the most
wonderful gifts in self growth. This has not always been the case as in
the past I wasn't open to receiving this gift. However, I now recognize
the concept that EVERYTHING in our lives is an opportunity for us to
grow and learn from, and this belief has become integrated into my system.
Recently, my sisters came from Colorado and New York (which is where I
am from) to visit me at my place in LA. I am the "baby" of the family,
with my sisters being seven and ten years older then I am. Continue Reading...
A Lesson in Compassion by Amy Cheryl
What was I thinking? Well, obviously I wasn't thinking - or I would never have let the DVD out of my sight, never mind out of my house!
Let me explain. Last week, a good friend of mine and her husband came over for dinner. Great company, great time. After dinner, when the husbands went off to watch the hockey game, my friend and I sat down for coffee and a chat. Continue Reading...
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